Multiple telephone station call indicator and selective answering switch unit



8, 1950 J. T. MEADE MULTIPLE TELEPHONE STATION CALL INDICATOR AND SELECTIVE ANSWERING SWITCH UNIT Filed Dec. 18, 1948 \\\\\\\\\\\&\\\\

w v m m m INVENTOR JOHN T. MEA DE @alwuufl Q ATTORNEY NM R \I I c d a a L, o S 23.5. A? 2.5 M a 2. o 5 u s L 9 6 u p o n m N fii H K f I NN MQN n35 .zum .55 32.2%... wzaao was: won-652.

Patented July 18, 1950 MUL IPLE: TELEPHONE s'rATIoNMoALL,

INDICATOBAND SELECTIVE ANSWER:

ING SWITCH UNIT Jdfifi T fMfifle, New N. Application li ecember 18, i548, erialfio. 66,072

Wheiethe person defile dis out, the secretar can According tofth'' invembfi; there provided a; unit er the c1ttss se't ioftn wliih comprises a smell portalble box containin a term strin mounted on the'ba'sejnd a totarisflector' switch mounted on the 17 panel Of the bO'X. The

(if each' of whili cofbgl telephone s't ation, 15msi'gnal such as" e. ilrhp, a)!"- bout at cor'riihbii centei' which des" with the aide of the ro- U A handle or} knobfof 0159 ati ng slich' switch is difsbosed at the front of the pan and has fioin'tef for indicating the station position of the'switchcorresponding to the signal l'emp tq'wa'ra which the painter points; me meeeip iefe c n w w ma evi'n'g corresponding stationed contacts; and fot'atry 4 Claims. (01: 179:1)"

2 switch H des or coiitict arfri's in cifcl'iitfeleltion with a 'teiepiione disijosetI within reach of tlie switch e 'eratof. A cable extending th'r ughe new if! fifie rear W511 6f the boii, conta ns ins'oj- Iate'el condilctors wfiich' connect each telephone to a. sep rate pair" of terminals pe'irso'f teririin'tle areexeeg 7 connected by means of inslileted wires within thebdx in paranel ci'fcui't reiauofi with the corree'po'nding sligfizi l" lamps; and pelil ll circiiit n witli the coirepondingfstationt ii c'bnt'ats o tlieswitch'gengs. T hfis whefi to efstaltion is ifiade' the corf'esponiiing s1 due t eiief'g'y Sup n'ea ytne r' "t and, if the c2511" is fienewe'rea, the ape after metak it throiigh lief telebfio'rf rher w tfirmngtheknob' so" wet it oints towarja the'il'liimin'ated' sig'n'ail lainp. The can is} private ifisofai' as the ether stations" of theeyls'teihs are concerned and the switch does not need be reset fof future use. This isle, gi ea't iihfii'ovemenu dfver" switches tnstt have" m ne 1 eet elfteif a c'a'lli coriipleted', since the resetting of switc'iis is a n 'saiiice and ofte'n'ne'glected'. AIS we operat r has my pd ccns'icler oneswiteh handle not a'bettery of them;

Fig 2"isi"a View in front elevation of the unit; mid I r Fig. 3 is a, sectional view taken on Erie 3-3 of such unit. u

As sho'vg'rn in the" draiwing, Illi's; a1 fiii l'tiiile' telephonestation call indicator and selectiveafiwer; m switch nit embodying the invention. Tri unit H3 comprises a smell boz'z" or hbliliig l2 halving' a front panel M which is removamy' moiinted inth'e rame provicld' b the baselfi', side ens; rs; and top as of the box, A teff'na'l' str'i gz is secu ed on the" base {6 within inc box The strip 22 is provided with a) pair of terminals 24 and 26 for eelch individual telephone station; A-G. such terrninals aife electrically connected r to each individlil telephone station of thesys' tem through individual bell boxes 21 by men-- leted, conductors 2 8 and 30 contained in a'comrnon cablefpZ which extends through a suitable hole 3 1 in the rear wall 36 of the box |2,"the" cable being anchored within the box by a holdclown clamp-3%. The strip 22 is also provided with another pair of terminals 40 and 42' which are electrically connected by insulated wires- H and' 43yto a. dial telephone" 44 of an} extension station within convenient reach ofthe box" [2:

Mounted on the front panel H are a plurality of signal devices such as lamp sockets 48 in each of which is supported a signal lamp 1-! corresponding to the stations A-G. The lamps are located in suitable ports 50 in the panel I4, the ports being arranged in a circle about a common center which substantially coincides with the axis of a shaft 52 of a rotary-selector switch 54 which is manually adjustable by means of a single knob 56 secured to the shaft in front of the panel. The knob 56 is provided with a pointer 51.

The switch 54 includes two banks 58 and 60 of corresponding stationary contacts which are connected by insulated wires 62 and 64 to insulated conductors 66 and 68, respectively, which connect the pairs of terminals 22 and 24 to the corresponding sockets 48 of lamps l!. The corresponding stationary contacts of the switch are adapted to be selectively engaged by a pair of corresponding rotary contact arms or blades 70 and 72 which are carried by the shaft 52 and are electrically connected in circuit relation with the extension telephone terminals 40 and 42 by means including insulated conductors 14 and 16. The switch 54 is of the type which is releasably held in adjusted position, and can be turned from one position to the next with a snap action. In operation, when a call comes in telephone station C, for example, the ringing current causes the corresponding signal lamp 3 to light and if the party called is out, the operator at the extension station simply turns the selector switch knob 56 so that the pointer 5'! thereon points toward such lamp. This electrically connects the extension telephone 44 in circuit with the called station 0, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, and enables the operator conveniently to take the incoming call for station C without leaving the extension station.

The unit It] is easy to assemble, inexpensive, compact, light in weight, simple to operate, efiicient, and requires no resetting of the single selector switch knob after a call has been answered. Except for the extension station operator, the conversations through the main telephone stations are private with respect to all of the others associated with the unit. The unit can also be used with any number of individual main telephone stations from one up to the total number of positions of the cut-in selector switch.

I claim:

1. A multiple telephone station call indicator and selective answering switch unit comprising a housing having a panel and containing a rotary selector switch having a single handle located in front of said panel, separate station call signal devices arranged on said panel in a circle about the axis of said switch, and circuit means for connecting contacts of the switch to separate individual telephone stations and also to an extension telephone station located within convenient reach of the unit, and means whereby an incoming call to an individual station is indicated by the corresponding one of said signal devices on said panel and means whereby such call can be answered through such extension telephone station by simply adjusting the rotary selector switch handle to the indicated signal device.

HI 2. A combined telephone call indicator and cut-in switch unit comprising a portable housing provided with a panel having spaced signal devices arranged annularly about a common axis, there being a signal device corresponding to each {telephone of several individual telephone stations, a rotary selector switch provided with a rotor the axis of which substantially coincides with the axis of said common axis, a single handle at the front of said panel for operating said rotor and including means indicating the position of the switch with respect to the signal devices, said switch comprising two banks of corresponding stationary contacts, means including insulated conductors for connecting corresponding pairs of said contacts and said signal devices across the circuits of several telephones, the rotor of said switch having a pair of contact arms selectively engageable with corresponding pairs of such stationary contacts, and circuit means for connecting said arms to another telephone within reach of the unit.

3. A call indicator and cut-in switchunit comprising signal devices, a rotary station selector switch provided with astator having two banks of contacts, means connecting corresponding pairs of said contacts in parallel circuit relation with said signal devices, which rotor includes contact blades engageable with each of such corresponding pairs of contacts as the'rotor'is turned from one position to the next, means for connecting said blades electrically across an extension telephone set within reach of the unit, means for connecting each of said signal devices electrically across an individual telephone set, whereby a call to the latter is indicated by the corresponding signal device, and means whereby such call can be answered through the extension telephone set by simply adjusting the switch rotor so that the blades engage that pair of contacts corresponding to the indicated signal device which is connected to such individual telephone set.

4. A multiple telephone station call indicator and selective answering switch unit comprising a small portable box having a base, a front panel, and a rear wall, a multiple terminal strip mounted on such base and having a pair of terminals for each of a plurality of individual telephone. stations, said rear wall having a hole through which is adapted to pass a cable containing pairs of insulated conductors connected to the telephones located at such stations and the corresponding terminals on said strip, and said front panel having a plurality of spaced ports arranged in a circle about a common center, there being a port corresponding to each of such pairs of terminals, a signal lamp mounted on said front panel in each port, means including pairs of insulated wires electrically connecting each pair of terminals with the corresponding signal lamp so that it lights when the corresponding telephone station is called, and a rotary selector switch mounted on said front wall for movement about an axis substantially coinciding with such center, said switch comprising a pair of switch gangs having corresponding stationary contacts, insulated electrical conductors connecting such contacts to said terminals, said switch also comprising a shaft rotatable on such axis, a pair of rotary contact blades in circuit relation with another pair of terminals on the strip which are connected to another telephone within reach of the box, said blades being fixed on said shaft and selectively engageable with cor-responding stationary contacts, and a knob mounted on said shaft in front of the panel hav ing a pointer adapted to point toward the signal lamp corresponding to the selected switch position, and means whereby when one of the telephone stations associated with the unit is called 5 the corresponding signal lamp lights'and, if it 2,515,888 5 is not answered the call can be privately an- REFERENCES CITED Swered by means of other telephone Wlthm The following references are of record in the reach of the box, by simply turning the rotary me of this patent: selector switch knob manually so that the pointer thereon points toward the lighted lamp which 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS indicates the telephone station being called, Number Name Date thereby switching the operators telephone into 1,290,645 Nelson Jan. 7, 1919 the called telephone line. 1,903,972 Bartley Apr. 18, 1933 2,071,053 Varley Feb. 16, 1937 JOHN T- MEADE- 10 2,107,817 Davis Feb. 8, 1938 

